Udinese Group Technical Director, Gianluca Nani, has highly praised Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, stating the shot-stopper was “almost impossible to score against him in training.”
Nani explained that Okoye’s outstanding training form was the precise reason he was immediately reinstated to the starting lineup for Monday evening’s Serie A clash against US Cremonese. This return comes after a two-month suspension over betting issues, which saw Okoye miss the first six games of the season, with Romanian goalkeeper Razvan Sava filling his place.
Despite being inactive at the club level for approximately five months, Okoye was reportedly commanding and showed no sign of rust in his return. Nani confirmed the club’s confidence: “We’re really happy he’s back because he’s our starting goalkeeper and there were never any doubts.”
Okoye is now expected to focus on displacing Stanley Nwabali to reclaim the Super Eagles’ number one spot, particularly as Nigeria prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs.